


DC Rain II - Double or Nothing (5/9)

by thebasement_archivist



Category: The X-Files
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2002-02-01
Updated: 2002-02-01
Packaged: 2018-11-20 15:32:49
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 18,240
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11338305
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thebasement_archivist/pseuds/thebasement_archivist
Summary: Note from alice ttlg, the archivist: this story was originally archived atThe Basement, which moved to the AO3 to ensure the stories are always available and so that authors may have complete control of their own works. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in June 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address onThe Basement's collection profile.





	DC Rain II - Double or Nothing (5/9)

**Author's Note:**

> Note from alice ttlg, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [The Basement](http://fanlore.org/wiki/The_Basement), which moved to the AO3 to ensure the stories are always available and so that authors may have complete control of their own works. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in June 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [The Basement's collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/thebasement/profile).

D.C Rain II - Double or Nothing (5/9)

## D.C Rain II - Double or Nothing (5/9)

by Aries

Title: D.C Rain II - Double or Nothing (5/9)  
Author: Aries  
Feedback to:   
Author's Website:   
Status: Complete  
Category: Unclassified  
Pairing (Primary): Mulder/Krycek  
Pairing(s) (Secondary):   
Crossover Fandom (if any):   
Crossover Info (if any):   
Other Pairing Info:   
Rating: NC-17  
Spoilers:   
Permission to Archive:   
Series or Sequel/Prequel:   
Notes:   
Warnings:   
Disclaimer: 

Summary: 

D.C. Rain II - Double or Nothing  
by Aries  
Part 5 

* * *

Alex opened his eyes and squinted around the room. 

Had he really fallen asleep? 

His wandering gaze fell on the alarm clock, and he read the numbers. 

Seven thirty-two. 

He shook himself awake and arose, grabbing some underwear and a t-shirt out of his dresser. Quickly slipping into the garments, he padded into the living room and looked around. 

No Fox. 

Just as he was about to call out, the sound of cookware hitting the stove drew his attention to the kitchen. He moved in that direction and found Fox in front of the counter, opening a box of pasta. The older man detected his presence and turned around, smiling broadly. 

"You were so out of it, I didn't expect you to wake up for quite some time." 

Alex ran a hand through his hair and approached his lover. 

"I don't even remember falling asleep." 

He reached Fox and wound his arms around the other man's waist as he was pulled into a tender embrace. 

"Hungry?" Fox asked, dropping a few kisses into Alex's hair. 

"A little," he answered, lifting the lid to the larger pot on the stove and sniffing at the sauce that had only just begun to simmer. "Smells good." He replaced the lid and returned his attention to Fox. "How long have you been up?" 

"'Bout an hour. I hadn't had much of an appetite in North Carolina, and I'd only just then realized that I was starving. I thought you might be hungry too, whenever you woke up, so I decided to get some dinner made." 

"Thank you," Alex croaked, lowering his head to his lover's shoulder. "How d'you feel?" 

"Fine." 

Fox slipped a hand under Alex's cheek and lifted his head. He stared intently at the younger man, then asked, "Are you sure?" 

Alex gave his lover a soft smile. "You're home. Of course I'm fine." 

The two men shared a gentle kiss before Alex looked at the boiling water. "Need some help?" 

"Sure, if you don't mind. That way we can eat sooner and just relax the rest of the night. You want a salad with this?" 

"Uh..." Alex looked at the pots then the refrigerator. "Yeah. I guess so." He retreated to the bathroom for a few minutes then returned and set about preparing the salad while Fox wrapped some Italian bread in foil and stuck it in the oven. The two worked quietly together, one every so often offering the other a soft smile or loving touch. When everything was finished, they carried it all out to the dining room and sat together, enjoying the meal and each other's company. 

"You never told me how come you got home early," Alex said after a long silence. "Did I misunderstand?" 

"No, I was able to get an earlier flight, so I did." 

"You? What about Scully." 

"Yeah, her too." 

"Oh. I was so surprised to see you." 

"I couldn't wait to get home," Fox explained, skimming the underside of the younger man's jaw with two fingers. You sounded so bad that night you called me. I should've hung up and got the first available flight out right then. Never again," he promised the younger man. 

"Don't say that, Fox," Alex pleaded softly. "You can't just flush a case because I've had a nightmare. If it happens again, I'll know how to handle it." 

"But you shouldn't have to handle it alone." Fox stopped and smiled. "I can see that we're just going to go round and round with this. What d'you say we just agree to disagree, huh?" 

"That means that you're not going to listen to a word I say on the subject, right? You're just going to go ahead and do exactly what you want to do?" 

Fox grinned, and popped a piece of bread into his mouth. 

"You got it, baby." 

Alex lowered his head, shaking it from side to side. 

"I should be mad at you." 

"But?" 

The sable head lifted, and Alex trained a loving gaze on the other man. 

"You're so damn sweet to me. Makes it impossible to stay rational." 

"So, stop arguing with me, and just go with it." 

The younger man emitted a soft breath and turned his attention back to his food. 

Fox raised and dropped his eyebrows, grinning at how easy that was, and dug into his pasta. Two hours later, the kitchen was cleaned up, everything put away, and the men retreated to the bedroom, where they made love for a relatively brief amount of time before Alex began to show signs of extreme fatigue. 

"God," he sighed from the shelter of Fox's arms, "I can't believe how tired I am." 

"How much sleep did you get over the course of three days?" 

"Don't know. I never really got out of bed, so I lost track of time. But I'd keep sleeping and waking up. 

"And you wonder why? Interrupted sleep isn't good." 

"Used to get a lot less sleep, and for longer periods than this," Alex murmured, brushing his fingers through the light scattering of hair, "and I never felt this tired." "You were never able to really relax, were you?" 

"Not like this. There were times when I'd just hang around the apartment and do nothing all day, but I don't think I can truthfully say that my mind and body were at rest." He brushed a kiss over Fox's chest. "This is so different from what I've known for most of my life. No 'jobs' to do. Nobody to double cross...no blaring horns and dingy motel rooms..." He wrapped his arms around Fox, an turned his face into the older man's chest. "I have a home. Someplace safe and clean. And someone who loves me in spite of who I was...I'll never make you sorry, Fox." 

"I know that," Fox assured the younger man, hearing the anguish that rarely completely left his voice. He said nothing more, hoping that the silence and the caress of his hand up and down Alex's back would lull him into sleep. A short time later, it did just that. 

Fox lay listening to the soft exchange of breath and felt Alex's muscles relax beneath his wandering hand, and he knew he was asleep. A long sigh hissed out between his parted lips, and he began to think again about the last few days, mentally kicking himself in the ass for not being here for Alex when he needed him. 

He'd heard the argument from Alex, time and time again, and he was sure that he'd hear it again...several more times...'I'm all right, Fox. I'm a big boy, I can handle it, you have a job to do...' Blah, blah, blah. But the job didn't mean jack shit to him if Alex wasn't emotionally secure. Fox wouldn't let him go through another few days like he just had again. 

He kissed the silky sable head and closed his eyes. 

Not a chance in hell. 

* * *

Not again. 

Walt Skinner sat in the darkness of his living room, staring at what he could see of the skyline from his seat in the middle of the room. Every night since he'd gone to Mulder's apartment and confronted the two assholes who had drugged and sexually assaulted Krycek, he sat here. 

Thinking about what he'd seen, what he'd done. What he'd been told...conveniently skipping over what he'd felt... 

What the hell was Scully doing? He understood her desire to keep Mulder safe from the man she considered to be evil incarnate, but to go to the lengths she obviously had? To launch such a heinous, premeditated offensive worthy of the demon she was trying to exorcise? It was so unlike the compassionate, principled woman he knew. 

He took his glasses off and tossed them onto the table a couple of feet away. 

And then there was the matter of the cameras he saw around the neck of the man who had gotten away. 

Deductive reasoning told him they weren't playing tourist, snapping shots of the Washington attractions. But he wished like hell that he could believe that rather than the explanation that kept banging away in his head. 

That weasel he'd caught had fucked Krycek while his buddy took pictures. And whether it was for their own purposes or Scully's, those pictures couldn't spell anything other than disaster. Question was, for who? For Krycek? And if so, was it blackmail or a simple act of hatred? 

Or was it a contrived wakeup call for Mulder? If so, then it was Scully's idea for the pictures. But where the fuck was her head? She had to know how much something like that would devastate him. 

No. She wouldn't hurt him that way, no matter how much she hated Krycek. 

Okay, so he was back to blackmail. She'd show the pictures to Krycek, threaten to send them to Mulder if he didn't get the hell of his life, and Krycek would... 

Well, he'd either do what she wanted...which would prove what was becoming more and more of a possibility. It would prove that he really was in love with Mulder, or he'd do what the Alex Krycek Skinner had ever known would do. Eliminate the threat. 

//And what are you going to do? Are you going to stand by and watch this thing play out, or are you going to step in and diffuse what could turn out to be an explosive situation?// 

Skinner rubbed his hands over his face and cursed softly. 

//You know what it'll mean if you interfere. Mulder will know that you'd been there that night. What the hell excuse would you give him for that?// 

He imagined the way the conversation would go... 

//Yeah Mulder, so I went over to your place to harass and hopefully fuck your boy, and I found that some clowns employed by your partner had gotten to him before me...// 

"Son of a bitch." 

Okay, he'd wait just a bit longer. Watch the situation closely, then step in only if he really needed to. 

Hopefully before someone got hurt. 

* * *

Scully glanced from her watch to the man who had just entered the office, wearing a well-rested, well-satisfied look on his face. She fought back the overwhelming urge to hit him. 

"Morning, Mulder." 

//There. That sounded normal.// 

"Morning." 

"How was your day yesterday?" 

"Good. Yours?" 

"Fine. Skinner was asking for you." 

Fox picked a thin folder up off of his desk and perused its contents. "Uh huh." 

"He wanted to know why you didn't put in an appearance yesterday. I didn't know what to tell him." 

"That's all right. It's not your responsibility to account for my comings and goings." 

"I'm your partner, Mulder. If you're not around to answer for yourself, Skinner looks to me. And when I have no real answer for him..." 

"All right, Scully, all right. I'm sorry. I'll go see him." Fox dropped the folder and started for the door, but stopped halfway, snapping his fingers. He spun around and moved to his desk, sitting on its edge as he picked up the phone. Scully watched him punch in several numbers then tensed as she heard his tone turn from cool and flat to honey sweet. 

"Hey, babe." He chuckled softly. "Yeah, I miss you already. Mmm hmm..." His lashes drooped halfway over his eyes. "God, yeah. Parts of me are still humming..." Jesus Christ, did she have to listen to this shit? 

"...yeah, that's why I called you. ...The refrigerator?" Fox scratched the back of his head. "How the hell did I..." He began to grin. "Oh no, you can't blame me for that. You started it. ...Yeah, good, I hope you are suffering...don't you dare...nope. Now you're gonna wait till I get home." More laughing. "You'd better! ...Okay, I gotta go. If I'm not busy, maybe I'll take a long lunch and go pick it up...I don't know. How long do you need? ...That's it? You think you're that good, do you? ...Yeah, okay, okay. I'll definitely be home then, about one, to see that you make good on that. Bye, babe." 

Fox hung up, grinning broadly. He looked over to Scully, who looked like she had been sucking on a lemon, and the grin turned to a smirk. 

"Forgot my cell phone at home." 

"And you'll pick it up later...when you take your long lunch." 

"Yeah. Well, I'd better get up to Skinner's office. See you in a bit." 

"Yeah. Right." 

Fox left the office, whistling softly, and the sound went through Scully like a rusty butter knife. 

//You'll be whistling a different tune, Mulder, soon enough.// 

Unlocking the bottom drawer of her desk, she pulled out the manila envelope and peeked inside at the top picture. 

//Oh, yeah, this one ought to really kill him.// 

She blinked rapidly and dropped the envelope back into the drawer. 

"God," she gasped, "listen to yourself." 

//These pictures are only for Krycek. Mulder's never going to see them. You won't do that to him. You can't.// 

//But he's so fucking smug. He shouldn't be so smug...// 

//Right. Like you wouldn't be. Don't freakin' worry about it. Krycek'll do anything he has to do to make sure that Mulder never sees these.// 

//Christ, let's think about that for a minute, shall we? Alex Krycek. Presented with a threat. How do you think he's going to react?// 

//Don't start. Don't fucking start. You gotta nitpick every goddamn detail, don't you? Krycek's going to do exactly what you want him to do. He's not going to take the chance of losing Mulder, that's for damn sure.// 

"No," she murmured, lightly fingering the edge of the envelope. "He certainly wouldn't do that." 

* * *

"You can go in, Agent Mulder." 

Fox smiled at the pretty redhead and opened the door. He strode into the A.D.'s office and stood in front of the desk, waiting for Skinner to speak first. "How did the investigation go, Agent?" 

"Pretty much like most of my investigations. No one agreed with my opinions, yet no one could come up with a logical explanation for the event." "Have you started your report?" 

"I can't speak for Agent Scully, but I'm going to get on mine as soon as I get back down to my office." 

"Oh," Skinner replied flatly. "I figured you'd be through with it, since you spent the day at home yesterday." 

"No, I had personal matters to attend to." 

Skinner nodded. "Is everything all right?" 

Fox drew a deep breath and sat in his usual spot. 

"Can I ask you a question?" 

Skinner remained silent, waiting. 

"What is it with you and Scully? You both hate Alex, you think I'm making the mistake of my life being involved with him, yet you both keep asking me if things are all right. Do you two have some kind of bet going or something? You got money on how long we last?" 

"Of course not." 

"Then what's with all the curiosity?" 

"There was a time, Mulder, when you would get back into D.C. from a case and come straight in to the office. I've seen you walking in here from the airport at seven at night. You get back yesterday morning, and you go home for the day. Then you say you had personal matters to attend to. You can see, can't you, why that might be a matter of concern?" 

"I might be able to see it if it wasn't Alex I was going home to. Neither you nor Scully has made a single conciliatory move in regards to my relationship with him." 

"Mulder, if you think that we can just turn our suspicion and resentment toward Krycek off as easily as you seem to have..." Skinner shook his head and let his voice trail off. 

"Right. Yet you're both so interested to know if everything is all right at home. Just a little odd, you know?" Fox eyed the other man. "Anything else you haven't been able to turn off?" 

"What are you talking about?" 

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Skinner grimaced. 

"Let go of it, Mulder. It was one incident. Years ago." 

"So? That's supposed to mean that you don't have the itch anymore? This concern of yours would make sense if you did." 

Skinner jerked his head away. 

"Sorry to disappoint you, Walt, but everything really is fine..." 

//Oh, little do you know...// 

"...We're together. We're happy. That isn't going to change." 

"How can you be so sure, Mulder?" Skinner asked, his voice humming with something that came very close to compassion. "Nothing in this life is ever a sure thing." 

"I'm sure because we both want it so much. A good part of Alex's life has been pretty damn shitty. Not any more. I'm going to do everything in my power from here on out to make sure that he's happy." 

Skinner's eyes narrowed, and he sent the younger man a curious frown. 

"Why? Why are you putting yourself through this? Why did you spend all those weeks chasing down a man who's wreaked such havoc in all our lives?" 

"Because I love him," Fox answered with quiet passion. "Because even though you and Scully will never believe it, there's so much more to him than you see." 

"I just...I'm sorry, but I do find that very difficult to believe. For years all we've seen is a thug. A double crossing, thieving, lying.." 

"He was all that," Fox interrupted. "No doubt about it. But that's not who he is now." 

"No," Skinner replied without malice. "Now he's a hooker." 

"He's not. Not any more." 

"The love of a good man turn his life around?" 

"If that's how you want to look at it. But he didn't want the life he had. I merely offered him an out." 

"And he jumped on it." 

"Actually, no. He fought me a good part of the way. He didn't want my pity. It took a lot to convince him that I could really want him. I'm still working on it." 

"Still..." Skinner cocked his head. "I don't understand." 

Fox lowered his gaze to the floor then looked up at the older man. "Do you really want to?" 

Skinner drew a deep breath and leaned against the edge of his desk. He thought back to that night so very recently, when he'd looked down at the man lying unconscious and unknowingly abused in Mulder's bed. He remembered the feelings that until now he'd fought so hard to forget, and for the first time he could actually look into Mulder's eyes and comprehend the depth of emotion he saw there. 

"Yeah. I think I do." 

Fox searched the A.D.'s eyes for a moment then decided that he might actually be sincere in his request. 

"Alex is very insecure. I know that sounds insane when you put it up against what you know about him, but it is the truth. He was convinced that he wasn't anywhere near good enough to be with me. I think he still believes that to some extent. Anyway, just when I'd thought I'd made some headway with him in California, Scully showed up, and it all went to hell. She'd completely decimated the fragile balance I'd achieved with him, and he ran. 

"I had to find him," Fox croaked, hoping that what he was saying was actually sinking in. "By the time Scully had caught up to us, I was so in love with him that there was no way in hell I could just pick up and come back to D.C." 

"When you found him again, Mulder, he'd gone back to prostitution." 

"Yeah. Scully'd done a real number on him. In his state of mind, it didn't take much to convince him of what he'd already thought was true. He was hurt, and he was confused, and I could've killed Scully for driving him away." 

"But you're still partners." 

"Because of Alex. Half a dozen times at least, he's stopped me from shutting her out completely." 

"Why would he do that? She hates him and has made no bones about it." 

"Because Scully and I have been best friends for years, and he doesn't want me to do something that someday I might wish I hadn't done. Alex's first concern is always for me. He never gives himself a thought." He smiled softly. "We take care of each other. We love each other." 

"Mulder, I...I have no doubt that you love Krycek," Skinner began. "I can see it all over your face, but...you're absolutely, positively sure that he feels the same about you?" 

"More sure than I've ever been about anything in my life." 

"Skinner lowered his head and nodded. "I just...I'd hate like hell to see you end up hurt." 

"The only hurt I've suffered was when he left me. It was devastating." 

"What's to stop him from taking off again if something spooks him? You said yourself that he's very insecure." 

"That insecurity is what I'm working to obliterate. It's hard, though, when I'm away from him like I have been the last few days." "How so?" 

Fox shrugged. "He feels most secure when I'm with him. He's okay when I'm at work; I'm only half an hour from home. But when there's more than a state between us like there just was...it's just not an easy thing for him to handle." 

"You make him sound like a basket case, Mulder. This description of him is so far from the Krycek that I know, that..." 

"He's not a basket case. He just really needs me right now. He'll be fine once it sinks into his head that I love him unconditionally, and that we're not together on a temporary basis." 

"Your job takes you away a lot," Skinner reminded the other man. "What are you going to do?" 

"I want him to go with me, but he doesn't think it's the best idea because of Scully." 

"I think he's right about that." 

"But I can't come home and find him the way I just did." 

Skinner's heart skipped two beats. "The way you just did?" 

"He had some sort of dream the first night I was gone. When he woke up, he was very disoriented. He thought...he felt that I'd been there, yet when he opened his eyes, I wasn't. He called my cell phone, and when I answered and told him that I was still in North Carolina...his reaction...I wanted to come home right then, but I let him talk me out of it. Stupid move on my part, because when I got home, I found him in a state that I swear on my life, I'll never allow again. 

"He was packing when I walked in. Since I'd told him that I hadn't been home, he had convinced himself that someone else had been, and that they'd had sex with him, though he could remember none of it. I managed to convince him, I think, that it was just a dream he'd had, and that everything was fine. He seems better now." 

Fox stopped talking and studied the older man. 

"What?" 

Skinner gave himself a mental shake and raised his eyebrows. "Nothing, it's just...Mulder, you must know how improbable this sounds. If it was anyone else, I wouldn't be having nearly as much trouble wrapping my mind around it." 

"I understand. Truthfully, I'm shocked that you've given me this much." 

"I've come to trust your instincts over the years. Even when it's been damn near impossible to do so. But that doesn't mean I've agreed with everything you've done." 

"I know that. But you have always given me the respect of letting me prove my beliefs." Hazel eyes lowered to the floor. "So has Scully. Until now." 

Skinner wanted to tell Mulder that Scully was just being extremely overprotective, but he couldn't. In his gut he knew there was something else to it, though he had no idea exactly what. 

"Just...do what you have to, Mulder. There's nothing you can do about what Scully thinks or says or does, so you might as well not worry about it." 

"What about you?" 

"What about me?" 

"What about the things you think and say and do?" 

Skinner lowered his head for a moment then raised it and looked his agent square in the eye. 

"We can't change the things we've done in the past." 

"No, but we can examine them and learn about ourselves. Have you ever done that? Do you know why you did what you did to Alex that night?" 

"...No. Actually, I haven't. I've sort of just pushed it to the back of my mind." "Why?" 

"Because I didn't want to think about it. It was nothing I could easily explain away, and I just didn't want to deal with it." 

"You need to confront it." 

"I don't see that I do." 

"You do. For yourself, and for Alex." 

"And for you? Mulder, you don't have to worry about me, okay? I won't try anything with him." 

//Anymore.// 

"I'm glad to hear that for your sake, but you should still face what you'd done. Was it an act of hatred? Did you just want to humiliate him? Were you attracted to him, and you didn't know what to do with it?" 

"I don't know." Skinner pushed away from the desk and walked over to the window. "Maybe a little of each." 

//Maybe a lot of one and two, and a shitload of the other.// 

"I know what it's like to want him," Fox replied. "And I know what it's like to hate him because you want him. I felt that way for years." 

"Did you ever..." 

"No. My frustrations came out in the form of violence." 

Skinner nodded and remained silent. Fox continued. 

"Alex has this quality about him. He just...he oozes sex. You just want to..." Fox broke off that sentence and started another. "And that's when he's not even trying. When he decides to turn it on..." The younger man smiled to himself. "God help anyone within a five mile radius." 

Skinner turned around, feeling the other man's eyes on him. 

"I've thought about it, and I do understand." Fox went silent for a moment, keeping his eyes on Skinner. "But he's mine," he said quietly. "I love him more than you could ever imagine, and no man will ever touch him again. I'll kill anyone who tries." 

Skinner stared back, forcing himself to meet Fox's eyes. 

"I understand." 

Satisfied, Fox rose from his chair. 

"This meeting took an entirely different turn from what I imagined it would be like." 

"That's an understatement." 

"I'm glad we talked, though. It's good to have someone who's at least trying to understand how I feel." 

Skinner nodded and returned to his desk. 

"So, I'll see that report when?" 

"By the end of the day." 

"All right. I'll see you later then, Agent." 

Fox gave the older man a tiny, crooked smile. 

"Yes, sir." 

The agent closed the door behind him as he left, and Skinner slumped in his chair. 

//Holy Christ. Well, you weren't prepared for that one, but you did okay.// 

//Okay. Then why do I feel like my lungs have fucking collapsed? He understands. He understands as much as he knows. But how sympathetic would he be if he knew the rest?// 

Scully looked up from her medical journal and watched her partner walk into their office. 

"You don't look nearly as ticked off as I thought you'd be," Scully commented as her partner entered the office. "In fact, you almost look...pleased." 

"It was a good meeting," Fox answered then refused to say any more. 

"Really. Well. Good for you." Try though she might, she couldn't mask the saltiness in her tone, and Fox picked up on it. 

"What, were you waiting for Skinner to ream me out?" 

"No, of course not." 

"No? Then why is your voice dripping with disappointment?" 

"You're losing it, Mulder, you know that?" Scully hissed, hoping that indignance would mask the truth. "I'm not as obsessed with you and your romance as you'd like to think. I hate to break it to you, but you're not the center of the universe." 

"I'm glad you feel that way, Scully, because I was truly beginning to wonder if I shouldn't be just a little frightened." 

"Cram it, Mulder." 

Fox looked at his watch and grinned. "In a few hours," he murmured to himself, noting that it was a little after ten. 

The comment had come out just a tad bit louder than he had intended, and Scully slammed the book down on her desk. Unwilling to temper her reaction, she flung herself out of her chair, sending it crashing against the wall, and she stormed out of the office without another word. The smile faded from the man's face as he stared at the open door. 

Something was going on here, and it wasn't just Scully's overwhelming desire to save him from the clutches of the evil Krycek. "Yeah, but what?" 

Wondering if their friends might have any clue, he decided to pay a visit to the Gunmen. After he got going on that report. 

And after he had Alex for lunch... 

* * *

Alex sat at the computer, tapping quickly at the keys, his eyes scanning the screen as he worked. 

"I got a feeling about you," he said to his newly acquired stock as he completed the transaction and closed the window. He sat back in the chair, displaying a satisfied smile. This online investing was fun. Not to mention convenient. 

Just as he opened up the newspaper to the financial section, a knock sounded at the door. 

"God, who the hell's that?" 

He left his seat and sauntered over to the door, looking through the peephole. 

" _Fuck_." 

"Open the door, Krycek." 

The door inched open, and Alex stood there in the limited space he'd created, blocking Scully's entrance. 

"What the hell are you doing here?" 

"We have a little business to conduct." 

"You and I have no business. Go back to work, if that's where you came from." 

"Yeah, I came from work. Where Mulder is sitting, smug as a Cheshire cat. But that can change in the blink of an eye." "What the hell are you talking about?" 

Scully held up a large, yellow envelope and sneered at the man in the apartment. 

"You might want to have a look at these." 

"What's that?" 

Scully shoved the envelope at him, the surprise of it backing him up a few steps. She took the opportunity to come in, and she closed the door behind her. 

"Go on, open it up." 

Alex leveled a hard glare on the woman as he opened the flap and pulled out roughly a dozen and a half photos. The blood drained from his face as he looked down at the first picture. 

"You should have gone into porn movies, Alex," Scully purred. "You're very photogenic." 

"What the fuck is this?" Alex gasped, shaking hands shuffling through the photos. 

"Uh, that would be you and...well, I don't really know who the other guy is, but it would seem that you know him quite well." She shook her head, clucking softly. 

"In Mulder's bed, Alex? You didn't even have the common decency to find a motel? I guess you figured what the hell, huh? Since he was away, who'd know?" 

"This isn't..." Alex choked, "I don't know where you got these, but I haven't been with anyone since Fox and I got back together. In California, or here!" 

"Pictures don't lie, Alex." 

"But you do, you fucking bitch. You doctored these. Somehow you took pictures of Fox and me in bed, and then you removed him and added someone else." 

"I did no such thing. Those pictures are genuine." 

" _Bullshit_." 

"Hey, it's not my fault that you can't remember from one fuck to the next. But I assure you that those pictures are the real deal..." 

And then he got it. 

Before Scully could say another word, the pictures fluttered to the floor, and she found herself slammed up against the wall behind her with an infuriated Alex holding her there by her neck. 

"You," he gasped. "You drugged me, didn't you? Somehow you drugged me and sent that fucker in to do that to me! _Why_?" he began to roar. "How could you do something so disgusting?" 

"I was in North Carolina, Alex," Scully croaked, the hand around her throat constricting to a frightening degree. "How could I have done what you claim?" 

"You did it!" he yelled. "Admit it and cleanse your soul, bitch, before I kill you!" 

"There are copies," Scully wheezed. "If anything happens to me, they automatically get sent to Mulder." 

Alex's breath left him in a rush, and his grip slackened. 

"You wouldn't. You...you wouldn't do that to him." 

"I'm doing it _for_ him." 

"Like hell!" he shouted, quickly rediscovering his rage. "This is about you! This insane desire you have to fuck me! You're so eaten up with it that you can't bring yourself to give a shit about how this would affect Fox!" 

"I don't want him to see them," Scully argued. "Even though that attitude of his could be taken down a notch or two." She focused an intense stare on Alex, despite the painful grip he still held her in. "If you take me up on my proposition, he'll never have to know that the man he loves and trusts so deeply had fucked another man in his bed." 

"I didn't!" Alex screamed, his voice breaking as he pulled Scully away from the wall and slammed her back into it. "I was drugged, and that son of a bitch raped me! And you made it happen!" 

"Whatever, Alex. What difference does it make? The point is you don't want Mulder to see those pictures. I'm here to offer you some insurance against that happening." 

"What the fuck do you want?" 

As if he couldn't guess. 

"You. In my apartment. Tonight. That'll do for a start." 

"You're out of your mind," Alex sneered, "if you think that I'd touch you..." 

"You will," Scully pressed. "Tonight, and any other night I want you." 

"Never. You got that? I will never ever touch you. Now get the fuck over it!" 

"Then the consequences of your refusal will be on your head!" the woman screeched, fury twisting what was an attractive face into something ugly. 

"Kiss my ass," Alex grated through clenched teeth. "You're not going to do this. If you do, there might be the possibility that he won't be able to handle it, and I'll lose him, but guess what? So will you. You think he's going to thank you for doing this? Your ass'll be gone from his life so fast you won't know what hit you. Not only that, but your career will pretty much be toast. I'll see to that personally. And I'll let you suffer all of that hell for a while. Make sure you get a real good dose, and then..." He leaned in, the warmth of his breath fanning her face. "Then I'll kill you, you scheming cow. Slowly, and painfully, and you know I know how." 

Alex let Scully go and backed up a step. "Now. The ball is in your court. What are you going to do?" 

Scully managed a hateful glare, though her heart was thrashing in her chest. 

"He won't know they're from me. I'll have them delivered, and it'll be your word against mine." 

"And whose word do you think he'll believe? You've done nothing but give Fox grief about me. You've all but shouted your hatred and jealousy from the rooftops. You think he won't believe you capable of this little bit of nastiness?" 

Scully blinked up at Alex, the venom fading from her expression, quickly being replaced by uncertainty. 

"You made your own bed, Scully. Be prepared to lie in it. Alone." 

Scully glared at the victor, shaking with more than one negative emotion. 

"Your day'll come, Krycek. And when it does, I'll be there to watch you go down in flames. And I'll be laughing my ass off." 

"I'll keep that in mind. Now get the fuck out." 

One trembling step at a time, Scully inched toward the door and pulled it open. She drew a long, stuttering breath and, choosing to say nothing more, she left the apartment. 

Alex stood stone still, listening for a moment to the deafening silence, then he turned around and looked down at the photos scattered at his feet. 

Him. Drugged into unconsciousness. Naked and draped around whoever the hell that bastard was. Being fucked...oh God, fucked in the bed that he and Fox shared. 

He sank to the floor, staring at the images before him. 

Shaking, he reached for one picture and tore it to bits. Then another. And another as the trembling turned violent, and anguished sobs pushed up from his throat. 

When each picture lay in hundreds of tiny bits, he wobbled to his feet and retrieved a plastic grocery bag from the kitchen. He gathered up every piece and staggered into the hall, tossing the bag into the incinerator chute. 

Returning to the apartment, he fell onto the sofa and looked around, hands clenching together convulsively. "What do I do?" he asked himself. "I dont...God, what do I do?" 

* * *

Twelve-thirty. 

//Yesss.// 

Fox saved the work he'd done so far and picked up his keys and jacket. He thought vaguely to himself as he blew out of the office that he hadn't seen Scully since she stormed out over two hours ago, but the thought quickly vanished as images of Alex filled his head. 

Naked and flushed. Eyes gone black with desire as Fox kneeled in front of him and sucked his cock down his throat... 

He chuckled softly as he loosened his tie and headed for his car. 

"You're gonna scream so loud, baby," he whispered, "the sound is going to echo until I get back home tonight." 

Reaching the burgundy Ford, Fox unlocked the door and fell into the driver's seat even as he shoved the key into the ignition. The engine purred to life, and he pulled out of his parking spot and headed for home and a mouth-watering lunch. 

* * *

Scully sat on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, staring sightlessly at the people passing by. 

She should have gone back to work. Had that report to finish up and turn in, but... 

Later. In a little while. Right now she just wanted to sit here and do nothing. And that included not thinking about her disastrous meeting with Krycek earlier, but her sadistic, traitorous mind wouldn't leave it alone. 

//You failed. You gave it a shot, and you failed. Give up. Those pictures were your last best hope, and he didn't buy into it. You were sure he would, and he didn't. And you can't let Mulder see the fucking pictures, you know you can't. So it all comes down to this. He won. You lost. Get over it and move on.// 

But how could she? Goddamn that bastard, he'd bested her again. How could she give in and let him win and still respect herself? 

//Just take it easy. Wait and watch, and an opportunity will present itself. Then you act.// 

"This isn't over, Krycek," Scully whispered as she rose to her feet and descended the steps. "Your day is coming. I'll see to it." 

* * *

The door to apartment forty-two unlocked and opened, and Fox walked in, a sly grin plastered to his face. 

"Honeeeey." He looked around the room, noting the prepared table "Baby doll," he called, snickering at the sappy term. "Daddy's home." 

There was no answer, and for a moment he began to worry. But movement out of the corner of his eye turned him in the direction of the kitchen. His jaw went slack, and his eyes glazed over as Alex leaned against the doorframe. 

"Your lunch is ready." 

Fox stood there, frozen as the other man approached with feline grace. His eyes took in the barely there, sheerest black g-string, the black leather collar that he recognized as one of the 'toys' he'd brought back from North Carolina, and a whole lot of skin in between, and the older man's cock, which was already hard from the anticipation of this moment, throbbed within the confines of his pants. 

Alex reached his destination, sliding his hands over Fox's shoulders, caressing gently, then he removed his jacket and led the older man to the table. He pulled the chair at the head of the table out, beckoning his lover to sit, and he kneeled beside the chair, resting his head on Fox's arm as he reached for an object on the chair to the left. 

Fox's fingers curled around the smooth, fine links of the chain of the leash that Alex had pressed into his hand, and his eyes dilated to near blackness. He hooked the clasp to the ring on the collar and pulled gently, as if to test its strength. The younger man lifted his head and, searching Fox's eyes, he began to unbutton his lover's shirt. When he reached the waistband of Fox's pants, he undid the belt. The button and zipper followed, and he pulled both shirts loose, completing the task of undoing all fastenings. 

Sweeping his lover's top shirt away from his chest, Alex nuzzled the white cotton beneath while his hands worked their way up under the hem, crawling over the contracting muscles of Fox's abdomen. His mouth brushed over one covered nipple, and a soft groan from his lover encouraged him to continue. Ever so gently, his teeth closed over his target and pulled, and Fox rose slightly from his seat, inhaling heavily. 

Golden-brown eyelashes swept upward as the pressure was released, and Fox trained a glittering gaze on the man at his feet. He tugged lightly on the chain to emphasize his words. "You teasing me?" 

Alex merely lowered his head to Fox's lap, brushing his cheek over the tops of the older man's thighs as he stared silently up at him. 

"Just curious," Fox whispered, stroking his lover's smooth cheek. "You know, you walked into the room a few minutes ago and completely floored me. Do you know how much restraint it's taking right now not to throw you up on this table and fuck the hell out of you?" 

"If you like," Alex purred, letting the fingers of one hand skim over the opening in Fox's pants and brushing the bulge still hidden by his underwear. "But maybe you could have some lunch first?" He reached over to the table, picking up a small bunch of grapes and, plucking one away from the rest, he held it up to Fox's mouth. 

Fox accepted the offering, his eyes never leaving his lover's, and when Alex held another grape up to him, he took the small green globe, cradling it with his tongue as he pulled on the chain and brought the younger man closer. 

Needing no instruction, Alex leaned forward, his tongue stroking over Fox's as he took the grape from him. As he slowly chewed the bit of fruit, Fox's hand wandered over one shoulder then down his chest, a finger flicking lightly at one nipple. Sable lashes swept down over forest-green eyes and Alex swayed a bit, then steadied himself and resumed his task. 

Fox allowed Alex to feed him the contents on the plate, stopping frequently to share his meal with his lover. By the time lunch was finished, both men were about as close to the fringes of insanity as they could be without dropping over the edge. When Alex again reached over to the chair to Fox's left, the older man watched intently, wondering what else he was going to produce. A smile twitched at the corners of his lips as Alex held a square packet up before him. 

Balancing the wrapped condom on the arm of Fox's chair, Alex pulled his lover's pants and underwear down, freeing his deeply flushed cock. He snatched the packet up, ripping it in two, and he withdrew the condom, efficiently rolling it down over Fox's erection. 

"Did you remember the..." 

Before Fox could finish his question, Alex produced a tube of lubrication, and the older man began to laugh softly. 

"Forget I asked." 

Slowly, Alex applied the lube, smoothing the gel over every inch of his lover's twitching cock, and the second he removed his hand, Fox was out of his chair, pulling him to his feet. The older man shoved everything to the other end of the table then spun Alex around and bent him over the cool wooden surface. 

Cheek pressed to the oak, Alex waited, trembling as Fox pulled the g-string aside and positioned himself. A hard gasp tumbled from his lips as his lover surged forward, embedding his cock as deeply inside of him as it could go. His fingers scratched at the surface of the table, looking for something to hold onto, but there was nothing. He lay there whimpering as Fox began to move, lovingly caressing his ass with one hand as the other reached for the leash that dangled over the edge of the table. 

Coiling the chain around his hand, Fox applied and held firm tension, lifting Alex's head a few inches off the table, and the hand stroking his rear gripped the younger man's hip as he began to thrust hard and fast. Alex let out a bone-jarring shriek, and Fox smiled, knowing the cause of his agitation. 

"Gotcha, don't I?" Fox panted, hitting the same spot again and incurring a similar response. He pulled tighter on the chain, drawing Alex's head farther back, and he leaned forward, licking the side of the younger man's neck and jaw. 

"I'm not gonna touch your cock... " 

Alex answered with a frenzied whimper, but it was quickly shushed. 

"But you're going to come anyway," Fox commanded, rocking against his lover. "Just like yesterday. Understand?" 

Eyes closed and gasping frantically, Alex nodded, and then Fox was slamming into him, grunting with every violent thrust. His mouth fell open, and a sound gurgled in his throat, quickly morphing into a loud mewling sob. His orgasm, devastating and sweet, danced just beyond his reach, and he begged Fox to help him meet it, jerking backward as the older man surged forward. 

"Please," he sobbed, "please, Fox, let...let me..." 

"It's yours, "Fox promised breathlessly, fast approaching his own heaven. "Come on, baby...come on...take it." 

Three more hard thrusts, and Alex began to scream. His muscles contracted as he came, squeezing his lover's cock, and taking Fox with him over the edge. 

"Ah, God!" Fox roared, jerking erratically then collapsing over his lover's back as the last bit of his energy was spent. How he remained on his feet was a miracle, considering the rubbery condition of his legs, but he managed, unwilling to move just yet. Moaning softly, he nuzzled the younger man's ear and licked away a few drops of perspiration as they ran down from his hair. 

"You keep treating me to lunches like this, I'll come home every day," he murmured, gently biting on Alex's earlobe before forcing himself to straighten up. He withdrew his withering cock and peeled the condom off before sliding an arm between his limp lover and the table and pulling him up. 

"So," he whispered in Alex's ear as he pulled the younger man back against him, hugging him to his chest. "I see you were nosing around in my little bag of tricks." 

Alex rubbed the back of his head against Fox's jaw. 

"I didn't think you'd mind." 

"Are you kidding?" Fox turned the younger man around and used the chain to pull him forward. "Stand here another five minutes looking like this, and I'll be as hard as I was when I walked in." 

Green eyes dropped their gaze to the floor then rose again, slowly, looking at the older man through a veil of thick lashes. 

"You have to go back to work," the smoky, honey coated voice reminded Fox, and the older man tipped Alex's face up to his. 

"I don't have to." 

"You do," Alex argued. "Fox..." 

There was something there. A slight, almost unnoticeable catch in his voice that worried Fox. Gold-flecked eyes narrowed on the other man, and Fox cupped Alex's cheek. "Something wrong? Alex, did I hurt you?" 

" _No_...no. It's...it's just that you didn't go in yesterday. You've only spent a few hours there today. I don't want you to get into any trouble." 

"You don't have to worry about that. Skinner and I had a long, unexpected talk today." 

Alex eyed his lover warily. "A talk?" 

"Yeah. He was a hell of a lot more understanding than I ever would have expected him to be." 

"Understanding about what?" 

Fox shrugged. "Everything. He respects my feelings, even though he might not totally agree with them. That's something I'll never have from Scully." He stopped speaking for a moment and looked into disturbed eyes. 

"We talked a lot about you." 

"What...what about me?" 

"I told him how very much I love you. We discussed his concerns about that...we also talked about what he did to you." 

Alex's eyes widened, but he said nothing. 

"I couldn't fault the man for being attracted to you. God knows it's easy enough. And in those days, the actions might have been different but the emotion was the same." W-what d'you mean?" 

"I was attracted to you...my attraction manifested itself in the form of violence. I beat on you...Skinner's attraction took a slightly different path. Anyway, he promised me he'd never even think about touching you like that again." Fox kissed Alex's slack mouth. "Which is good because I promised him that I'd kill him if he did." 

Alex lowered his head, shaking it erratically from side to side. 

//Liar. Goddamn fucking liar.// 

"Babe? What? What is it?" 

"N-nothing, I..." Alex picked his head up and met Fox's eyes. "You believe him?" 

Fox nodded. "I do. He's feeling guilt. I could see it all over he face. He wanted to bury it, but doing that isn't good. It's got to come out. A person needs to come clean with their own conscience before they can really move on. I...Alex? You don't look very convinced." 

"I'm sorry, I...I just don't see Skinner feeling guilt over me." 

I don't know that it's so much you personally as it is the fact that he'd exceeded his own moral boundaries, and he had a hard time believing himself capable of losing control like that." Fox stroked the side of his lover's head, focusing a warm, gold-splashed stare on him. "I know what it's like to want you beyond all reason." 

Alex's gaze fell away from the older man's face. "S-so that's it?" 

"I don't...we've all done a number on each other in one way or another, babe. You and I have gotten past it. Maybe we could cut Skinner just a little slack? He really does seem like he wants to understand us." 

"I'm sorry Fox, I...I just don't think I'm...I'm nowhere near ready to be Skinner's buddy. If ever..." 

"I'm not asking that we all get together and go out for a beer," Fox argued softly. "But he's trying to be decent." The older man lowered his eyes, and his tone. "It just would be nice to be able to be on good terms with one of my friends." 

//God.// 

"I'm sorry," Alex gasped, drawing closer to Fox's warmth. "I'm so sorry, Fox. I didn't mean...Jesus, I didn't mean to alienate you from everyone you care about." 

" _You_ haven't done that," Fox answered, realizing that Alex was putting all the blame on himself. "Their...Scully's condemnation of our relationship is what's screwed up our friendship. But Skinner's not doing that." 

Alex shuddered in the older man's embrace, and he inhaled deeply. "No," he rasped. "He...he isn't. If you can be on good terms, why shouldn't you be?" 

"That's all I'm saying," Fox cooed softly, pulling Alex's head down to his shoulder and nuzzling the dark hair. 

"You sh...you should get back to work." 

"Yeah, I guess I should. Only if you're okay, though." 

"I'm fine." 

"You're not upset with me?" 

Alex lifted his head and cocked it to one side. 

"Why would I be upset with you?" 

"For wanting to trust Skinner." 

"No, Fox, of course not. I understand; I really do." Alex imparted a soft kiss on his lover's full lips. "Come on, get cleaned up and go to work." 

Agreeing, Fox unhooked the chain from the collar and handed it to the younger man before he went into the bathroom. 

Alex paused a moment then retreated to the bedroom. He removed the collar and the g-string, pulling on a t-shirt and then a pair of worn jeans. Leaving the pants undone, he walked into the bathroom, where Fox was just tucking and smoothing his shirt. Giving the older man a quick smile, he took a washcloth from the shelves by the sink, and ran it under warm water. Before he could wash himself, Fox was there, pulling the cloth from his hand. 

Gently but thoroughly, he washed Alex's cock then lovingly tucked him into his jeans, drawing the zipper up and fastening the button. 

"Thanks again for lunch." 

Alex nodded but said nothing. 

Fox slipped his arm around his lover's waist, and the two walked slowly to the door. They shared a long, soft kiss, then Fox opened the door and stepped into the hall. 

"I'll see you later." 

As he started to move away, Alex's voice stopped him. 

"Fox." 

He pivoted and faced the direction from which he had just come, and Alex came to him, winding his arms around his neck. 

"I love you," the younger man rasped, holding Fox in a firm embrace and laying his head on his shoulder. 

Fox returned the hug and kissed the back of Alex's head. 

"I love you too, babe," he chuckled. "That's what you stopped me for?" 

Alex nodded, not lifting his head from Fox's shoulder. "You shouldn't ever go to sleep or leave the apartment without hearing it." "That some old Russian superstition?" 

"I don't know if it's Russian. But I was just thinking about my mother this morning, and I remember when I was a kid, asking her one day why every time I walked out of the apartment, or when she tucked me in at night, she'd always tell me she loved me. She said because she did, and it should never be something that we take for granted. I don't ever want you to think that I take you for granted, Fox. I'm grateful every day and every night for you." 

Fox tightened his arms, squeezing Alex against him. 

"How could I possibly think that? You're so good to me, Alex. Sometimes I swear I'm dreaming all of this." He loosened his hold on Alex and made the younger man look at him. "And I'm every bit as grateful for you. You know, in case you didn't realize it." 

Alex sagged against Fox's chest, basking in the warmth of glorious love as Fox rocked him gently. 

"If I don't get out here right now," Fox whispered, kissing Alex's ear, I'll never make it back to work." 

Alex breathed deeply and forced himself to push away from his lover. 

"Go on," he murmured, giving Fox a sweet smile. "I'll see you later." 

He moved back toward the apartment then turned to watch Fox walk to the elevator at the other end of the hall. Not until the door had closed did he move, finally walking back into the apartment. He paused at the door for a few brief seconds, then stalked into the bedroom and started ripping the linens off of the mattress. 

* * *

Sharp, brown eyes perused the report that Skinner held, then they rose to shift back and forth between the two agents. 

"So, you've both agreed to stamp this one unsolved?" 

"Yes, sir," Scully answered, eyes cast to the floor. "Forensic evidence supports neither Agent Mulder's ideas nor mine. The police are still poking around it, but I doubt very seriously that they're going to turn up anything new." 

Skinner nodded. "Very well. Agent Mulder, have you anything to add before we conclude?" 

"No, sir, I think Agent Scully covered everything pretty well." 

"All right then. Have a good weekend, agents." 

"Thank you, sir, you too," Fox answered as he rose and moved toward the door. 

Scully muttered a barely audible thanks and followed her partner into the outer office and finally the hall. It was there that Fox chose to speak to her. 

"Something wrong, Scully? You haven't looked right since I came back from lunch. Did you eat something that didn't agree with you?" 

"I'm fine, Mulder," Scully droned, insincerity oozing from every word. "I suppose you're going home now?" 

"Well, yeah. It's..." He looked at his watch. "Christ, it's after six-thirty." 

"Yeah, well, when you don't get back to work from lunch till almost _three_ -thirty..." 

"True." Fox stepped into the open elevator, followed by his partner, and hit the button for the basement. They rode down in silence, and once the doors opened, Fox stepped out into the hall and headed in the direction of the parking garage. 

"Goodnight, Scully. Have a good weekend." "You don't need anything from the office?" 

"Nope," Fox called, still moving toward his destination and pulling his cell phone from his pocket. 

Scully glared after him as he pressed two buttons then lifted the phone to his ear. 

"Hi, babe. I'm on my way home. Listen, why don't I pick something up for dinner along the way..." 

"Very domestic, Mulder," she grated as her partner disappeared around the corner. "Enjoy your little fantasy while it lasts." 

* * *

A single eye peered out at the man on the other side of the door. 

"Yeah?" 

"Put your glasses on Langly, it's me." 

"Oh. Hang on a sec, Mulder." 

The rest of the chains were removed, and Langly stepped away from the door as Fox entered. 

"What's up?" 

"I got a question for you guys. Where are Frohike and Byers?" 

It was Byers' turn to do the shopping. Frohike is..." 

"Right here, dude." 

The third man entered the room, shoving a spoonful of Cheerios into his mouth. 

"What're you doin' here at this time on a Friday?" he asked, raising the bowl to his mouth and slurping down some milk. "Shouldn't you be getting home to the wife?" 

"I wouldn't let Alex hear you call him that," Fox grinned. "Not if you don't want your lungs pulled out through your nose." 

"He doesn't scare me," Frohike snorted. "Anymore..." 

"Oh no?" Langly asked, one blonde eyebrow raised above the rim of the glasses he'd just put on. He looked to Fox. "Well, he scares the shit out of me, and I ain't ashamed to say it. So, if you tell him what dead meat here just said, make sure you also tell him that I couldn't disagree more." 

"Yeah. Okay. Listen guys, Alex is kind of why I'm here." 

Langly sat down at a bench strewn with loose computer parts. "Yeah? God, don't tell me you want to have a little 'getting to know you' type soiree or something." 

Fox rolled his eyes at the suggestion. "Would you listen to me please? I have to ask you both something." 

"Okay, shoot." 

"You spent some time with Scully in Vegas. Was she acting..." Fox's expression assumed a confused quality. "I don't know...weird?" 

The two men tossed each other a quick look. "Weird?" 

"Yeah, Frohike. I know she's none too happy about Alex and me. But to say that she's upset would be understating the facts by a mile." 

"Yeah, but Mulder," Langly reasoned, "you gotta admit that this came out of virtually nowhere, man. As far as any of us were concerned, Krycek was your worst enemy, and you'd have killed him as soon as looked at him. Even after he helped us and left, your reaction never would have led any of us to believe that you...you know...thought about him in that way." 

"Look. Langly. I understand all that. But you guys are okay with it, aren't you?" 

"Yeah," Frohike answered. "I mean, if you want to shack up with Attila the Hun, turned The Happy Hooker, turned June Cleaver, who are we to object?" 

"Thanks, Frohike. I think." 

"No problemo, dude." 

"Okay, all that aside," Fox resumed, "you didn't think that she was bent way out of shape about this?" 

Fox watched the two men cast their eyes to the floor after exchanging a look. 

"You do, don't you?" 

"She was a bit..." Langly paused, searching for the right words. 

"Livid," Frohike broke in. "Pissed as shit, homicidal..." 

"Jesus, Frohike!" 

"Hey, he knows how crazy she is about this, that's why he came here." 

"Right. I just need to know why." 

Frohike shrugged. "Our guess is she's jealous." 

"Jealous?" 

"Yeah, man," Langly replied. "For a lot of years now, it's just been you and Scully. Now all of a sudden, Krycek of all people is in the picture and...come on, Mulder, is this really not clear to you?" 

"I just..." Fox shook his head. "Nothing would have changed." 

"Things had already changed, Mulder," Frohike corrected him. "You threw your job aside to go chasing after Krycek. The most important thing in your life suddenly didn't mean jack squat. And, consequently, neither did she." 

"I never said she didn't mean anything to me. But guys, she never gave him a chance. She went on the attack the minute she got up to the cabin in California. She drove him away even after I told her how much he meant to me." 

"Hey man, you know what they say about a woman scorned." 

"Huh?" 

Langly emitted a loud sigh. "When we say she was jealous, dude, what do you think we mean?" 

Fox's eyebrows drew down into a frown. 

"Langly. Aww, come on. You're not saying..." He turned to the other man. "You think that too?" 

Frohike shrugged. "Have you ever seen her get involved with anybody? I mean outside of the _very_ occasional date?" 

"No, but neither had I." 

"Uh huh. You were obsessed with your job, and she was obsessed with _you_." 

Fox shook his head. "You're wrong, Frohike...you both are. Scully and I are...were like family. We didn't think of each other that way." 

"Okay, Mulder. Whatever you say. It's just our opinion anyway. And the most logical explanation you're liable to get for why she's so freaked out." 

Fox stood looking at the floor for a while then drew a deep breath and took a step backward. 

"Thanks for the talk, guys. I gotta go. I'll see you later." 

"Later, dude," Langly answered as he followed Fox to the door and closed it behind him. Leaning against the cool metal, he shook his head at the other man. 

"You ever think this'd turn into such a soap opera?" 

"Nope." Frohike looked down into his now soggy Cheerios then smirked up at his friend. "Can't wait for the next installment." 

* * *

"That was good," Alex set down his fork and picked up his glass, draining it of its contents. 

"Really?" Fox asked. "I wouldn't have thought you'd noticed for as little as you've eaten." 

"I wasn't starving, I guess," Alex answered, picking up his fork and swirling it through the remaining food in the plate. "But it is good." He looked up at his lover, giving him a casual smile. "Did you finish your report?" 

"Yeah. Skinner accepted it, and we're done with it." 

Alex nodded. "Anything else interesting coming up?" 

Fox rested his head in his palm and, smirking, dropped his other hand beyond the edge of the table. 

"I think you might find it interesting." 

"What is it?" Alex asked, picking up Fox's plate and scraping his leavings into his own plate and stacking them together. 

"Wanna see?" 

"Yeah. Sure." 

"You have to come over here," Fox instructed, amazed that Alex hadn't yet caught on. Piling the utensils together on the stacked plates, Alex pushed himself away from the table and approached his seated lover. He closed his eyes and began to smile as Fox assumed a boneless sprawl, grasping his exposed cock by the base and waving it back and forth. 

"You're a sick man, Fox." 

"And you're just a little slow on the uptake tonight. You really didn't know why I wanted you to come over here, did you?" 

"I admit I was way off." 

"You feeling okay, babe? You can usually read nothing more than a simple leer at a distance of fifty feet. I was throwing hints the size of boulders, and you weren't catching any of them." 

"Sorry," Alex apologized, sinking down into his lover's lap and draping his arms around his shoulders. "Guess everybody has an off night once in a while." 

"I'll forgive you," Fox purred, sliding his arms around Alex's waist, "if we can go to bed early and play." 

"Blackmail, Fox?" Alex asked, letting one hand slide down to gently stroke the velvety surface of his lover's cock. 

"Noooo," Fox growled softly, staring hungrily at the younger man's mouth. "Would I do that to you?" 

Before Alex could answer, Fox attacked, claiming his lover's mouth for a bone-jarring kiss. 

His moans vibrating against the other man's lips, Alex submitted easily, opening to Fox, wanting, always needing to surrender himself completely. 

This was definitely what he'd been waiting for...all that time, fucking and sucking anyone with the right amount of cash, yet unwilling to give up that last little bit of himself... 

It was such a tiny thing, his kiss. Insignificant in the shadow of all he had given away. But that one little gift, he knew he could never surrender. Not to any but the one he had waited for. And if Fox hadn't come all those weeks ago, clear across the country to claim it, he was sure he'd save it still. And wait. 

Fox fed ravenously on his lover's mouth, drinking in every sweet sound made just for him. His hands wandered the expanse of Alex's back...his hips...his thigh. And they yearned to touch flesh instead of fabric. "Y'know what we need?" 

"What do we need?" Alex breathed, tongue darting in and out of Fox's mouth, trying to coax him back into play. 

"We need you naked." 

"Just me?" 

"For a start." 

While Alex continued to lightly pet and tease his cock, Fox undid the first couple of buttons on his lover's black, short-sleeved shirt. 

"I like this," the older man commented softly. "I've never seen you wear it before." 

"You sure? It's nothing new." 

"No, I think I'd remember it. I love the way it hugs you." Fox stopped undoing the buttons for a moment to run his hands over the silky soft material. "It really shows off your upper body. Very sexy. Tomorrow, we gotta go get some more like it in other colors." 

Alex lowered his head, shaking it slightly from side to side. 

Fox cocked his head, studying the pensive expression on the younger man's face. "What is it?" 

"I don't know, it's just...the way you take time in the middle of foreplay to complement me. I should be used to it by now, but it still makes me feel so..." Fox smiled, waiting for Alex to finish. When no more words were spoken, he attempted to complete his lover's sentence. 

"Good? ...Special?" He pulled the younger man's head down for a tender kiss then released him. "...Loved?" 

Alex nodded, his lips trembling into a tiny smile. 

"All of the above." 

"I'm glad you feel all of those things. You always should. But I say what I say to you, Alex, because it's all true." Fox ran his hand over the younger man's shoulder then halfway down his arm, gently massaging his bicep. "You're beautiful." His hand left Alex's arm and moved to his chest, parting the open material of his shirt. "Not just to my eyes." His fingers danced over the smooth skin, raising tiny goosebumps. "To my hands..." 

Sable eyelashes fluttered then finally dropped over Alex's eyes, and the younger man took in a long breath. "My mouth..." 

Alex whimpered softly as lips, soft a dandelion fluff brushed over one nipple, then Fox's tongue flicked over the very tip. 

"Fox..." 

"My ears...baby, your voice is...Jesus, it does some incredible things to me. You can get me hard as stone three seconds after I wake up just by saying good morning." He tilted his hips slightly upward and moaned as his cock pressed more firmly against Alex's hand. "Like I am right now." 

Alex dropped his head to Fox's shoulder, nuzzling the curve at the base of his neck. He said nothing though his hand continued to caress the length of his lover's cock. 

"Baby." 

The whispered call brought Alex's head up, and he looked into stormy green eyes. 

Fox undid the last two buttons on the younger man's shirt and stroked his chest. 

"We really need to get you naked." 

Alex's gaze turned smoky, and he slowly rose to his feet. His hands dropped to his jeans, undoing the button and zipper. He paused for a moment, holding Fox spellbound with nothing more than his eyes then worked his jeans down and off, taking his shoes and socks with them. Now standing before his lover wearing only the unbuttoned shirt, he slid one hand across his chest and over his shoulder, sweeping the material down his arm. With a slight shrug, the other arm slipped off, and the shirt dropped to the floor. 

Fox lifted one hand and watched it travel over his lover's hip, down his thigh and back up, barely gazing the length of his aroused cock. The shaft jerked at his touch, and one corner of his mouth slanted upward. 

"Beautiful." 

He rose, now meeting Alex's eyes on an equal level. 

"Let's go to bed." 

Alex took the older man's hand and followed him into the bedroom, where Fox drew the blanket and sheet down to the end of the mattress and gently lay him down. He watched in the dim light as Fox removed all of his clothing then sat down at the edge of the bed. 

Fox sat quietly as Alex pulled himself up, and the younger man's chest pressed lightly against his arm. Golden-brown eyelashes swept downward, and a soft breath hissed past his parted lips as Alex's hand stroked up and down his back, and perfectly bowed lips traveled over his shoulder. 

"I wish there was a way..." He stopped, resting his cheek on Fox's shoulder and closed his eyes, but his hand kept moving soothingly over the older man's back. "...I wish you could know just how much I..." 

"I know, Alex," Fox interrupted softly. "I've never felt anything so strong. I just hope you can feel my love as intensely as I can feel yours." 

"I do," Alex promised, lifting his head. "God, how can I not? Your every look. Every action and touch overflow with it." 

Fox laid a hand to the side of Alex's face, thumb gliding back and forth over the smooth skin, then it slipped into the younger man's hair and pulled him into a deep kiss. Seconds later, he lowered them both to the bed, his body sprawled over his lover's. 

Alex closed his eyes, fighting the images that flooded his consciousness. 

Those pictures. That asshole, whoever he was, fucking him. Right here in this room. In this bed... 

"Alex?" 

He snapped back, blinking up into worried eyes and said nothing. 

"Baby," Fox croaked, "talk to me." 

Alex shook his head and pulled Fox down for a voracious kiss, obliterating all of the other man's concerns and replacing them with an intense heat that quickly consumed him. His tongue plunged into the younger man's mouth, scouring the soft interior walls, his teeth; tangling with its mate until both men were squirming impatiently against each other. 

Abruptly, Fox broke off the kiss and stared down at his lover, a pensive expression on his face. Alex stared back, wondering what was going through Fox's mind, when the older man lifted himself and walked toward the closet. His silent question was answered, when Fox pulled out the bag he'd brought back from North Carolina. Suspended from the crook of two fingers, the bag swung back and forth, and the other man gave him a questioning tilt of his head. "Okay?" 

Alex writhed amid the rumpled sheets and nodded. 

Withdrawing a pair of black leather cuffs lined with a soft, faux fur, Fox moved toward the prone man and climbed up on the bed, straddling his waist. He set the bag down by Alex's hip, and he positioned one of his lover's hands up above his head. He reached for the other hand and brought that one up to join the other, then gently snapped the cuffs in place. He leaned down and brushed the tip of Alex's nose with his own then kissed him softly. 

"Don't move them." 

Fixing a worshipful gaze on his lover, Alex shook his head and waited. His breath caught in his chest, and his cock throbbed as Fox withdrew the next item from the bag. 

Stroking the leather strap against the side of Alex's cock, Fox smiled at the tiny whimpers the action generated. "Will you wear this for me?" 

"I'll do anything for you," Alex whispered, arching into his lover's touch. 

"Are you sure about that?" 

"Positive." 

The deep glow in Alex's eyes spoke volumes to Fox, assuring him of his lover's absolute sincerity. Carefully, he fastened the restraint around the base of Alex's erection, and his own cock twitched at the guttural moans that met his ears. 

"How's that feel?" 

Alex emitted a hard breath and turned eyes, cloudy with lust up to the older man. Fox smiled down at him and stroked the side of his face. 

"It's okay," he murmured. "You don't have to say anything. In fact, let's fix it so you don't say another word until I want you to." 

Sable lashes fell over glazed eyes as the ball gag Fox had spoken of several days ago was fitted into his mouth. Fox secured the gag in place and groaned softly. 

"God, baby, I think I could probably drills holes in stone with my dick right now. You look fucking incredible." 

Alex's eyes opened halfway, and he stared up at Fox, whimpering as he writhed under his lover's scorching gaze. 

"You want me to touch you, sweetheart?" 

Alex bucked, groaning deep in his throat as Fox's fingers grazed the length of his bound cock. 

"Feel good?" Fox leaned down and dragged his tongue across Alex's jaw then moved a bit lower to tease his convulsing throat. The younger man arched his neck, baring the vulnerable flesh, and he took full advantage, growling softly as his mouth closed over the thrashing pulse point. 

The growl turned to a soft moan as Fox sucked at his lover's throat, the faint taste of salt and Alex filling his mouth. His teeth scraped over the tender skin, and Alex grunted, pushing upward, offering him more. 

A muffled yelp cut the air as Fox bit down, simultaneously sucking harder, and Alex's body convulsed and twisted, seeking the impossible. 

The need to be close to his love was an ever present ache, amplified by the simplest look or even the most innocent of kisses, but at times like this...when they were lying naked together, and he was drowning in the exquisite depths of Fox's love, the ache intensified to an unbearable degree. He wanted to melt into Fox; become part of him so he would never again have to bear the loneliness of separation. He wouldn't have to fear the night or what lay in wait for him on the other side of the door. And he would always feel warm and safe and deeply desired. 

Always was such a very long time, and not meant for the likes of him it seemed. He'd begun to think that maybe it was possible, but for the second time since he and Fox had become lovers, Scully proved that it wasn't. She would never allow it to be... 

Fox released his hold on Alex's throat and moved downward, now teasing a taut nipple as he withdrew an ostrich plume from the bag. The feather danced over Alex's sensitized flesh, and the younger man trembled with pleasure. 

Fuck Scully and her plans. The best revenge against that jealous bitch was for he and Fox to be happy. And they would be. 

And as for the asshole who'd helped her try to take what was his, he'd find out who that cocksucker was. And he'd track him down. And then he'd fucking kill him. 

Later. Oh, God, later. Right now he just wanted to lie here, like he had much of a choice, and experience every moment of this sweet torture that his love saw fit to inflict upon him. 

Fox lifted his head and smiled at the expression of dazed bliss on Alex's face as the feather whispered over his bare flesh. 

"You like this, baby?" Fox moaned, passing the feather over the insides of Alex's thighs then flicking it around his deeply flushed cock. 

Alex flinched and emitted a short, harsh grunt, and Fox chuckled softly. 

"Not quite sure if that's a yes or a no." 

Nodding, Alex arched against the dancing gray and white tendrils, whimpering for more. 

"That, I understood." 

Fox teased Alex endlessly it seemed to the man on the receiving end. Tickling, licking and nipping, making his cock pound and his balls ache, and the sensations he had wanted to feel forever just a short while ago had turned to pure torture. The need to come overwhelmed all else, and if he could have, he'd have opened his mouth and screamed. Cursed. Begged and promised Fox anything in the world if only he'd put an end to this torment. 

Fox watched blackness swallow the remaining green of Alex's eyes, and his chest rise and fall frantically, and he knew that he couldn't ask the younger man to hold on much longer. 

Laying several kisses along the inside of one thigh, Fox brushed the heavy sac that hung between his lover's legs with the tip of his nose, then he slid slowly up the length of Alex's body, making sure that they touched everywhere along the way. Settling himself on top of the other man's shuddering body, he looked down into what he was sure were the most beautiful eyes in the world, and he brushed the hair back from Alex's face. "Can't take any more, can you?" 

The gag was gently removed, and Alex moaned in partial relief. He looked up at Fox, eyes pleading. 

"Can't," he whispered hoarsely. "M'sorry. Please..." 

"Okay babe, okay. You know I won't make you." 

Fox reached into their supply of condoms and lube, pulling out two packets and a tube. Carefully undoing the cock ring, he waited until Alex's breathing returned to near normal, then he rolled the condom on. He put his on next and spread a thick layer of gel over the entire latex-covered surface. 

"Think we'll leave the cuffs on," he purred, "just to make things a little more interesting." Lifting his lover into position, he pushed the slick head of his cock into him, relishing the long, gasping sob his action created. 

"Fox," Alex choked, pushing against the other man. "Please. Oh...oh my God..." 

"I know," Fox gasped. "I...know, sweetheart." He gripped the clenching muscles of his lover's rear, and he thrust forward, forcing two loud cries into the air. Not waiting for either of them to fully recover from the initial shock of his possession, Fox began to move, immediately establishing a steady rhythm. 

Alex began to struggle within his wrist restraints, whimpering wildly as Fox rocked him back and forth. 

"Want to touch...please...touch you." 

"No." 

"Foooox..." 

Fox took Alex's mouth in a fierce kiss, muffling any further protest, and he quickened his thrusts even as one hand wrapped around his lover's tortured cock. 

Alex's body fell into violent spasms, and he groaned harshly into Fox's mouth as his lover worked his cock in time to each increasingly powerful lunge. An uncontrollable coiling began in the pit of his stomach, winding tighter and tighter then snapping as he came. He wrenched his head away, breaking their kiss, and his mouth fell open on a piercing cry, that sound and the uncontrollable tensing of his muscles triggering Fox's own orgasm. 

A series of hoarse sobs filled the room as Fox thrust erratically into his lover. He held tightly to the younger man, crying garbled, nonsensical words, and when his body had been drained completely, it fell, exhausted onto the one beneath. 

The silence that followed lasted for more than half an hour as both men lay motionless, unable to speak or move so much as an eyelash. 

Fox was first to stir as the sweat on his back evaporated, and he began to feel chilled. Lifting his head, he fixed a weary gaze on his seemingly comatose lover. 

"Alex?" he called softly, brushing the kiss-swollen lower lip with the tip of his forefinger. 

No answer. 

As Fox began to lift himself off of Alex, the younger man frowned and issued a soft moan of protest. 

"Nooo." 

"I'll be right back," Fox promised, taking the time to remove both condoms before he left the bedroom. 

Now feeling cold, Alex became more active. His eyes fluttered open, and he turned onto his side uttering a louder, more demanding complaint. 

Silence answered him for the first few seconds, then Fox returned, carrying a washcloth with him. 

"Cold," Alex grumbled, unable to wrap his restrained arms around himself. 

"I know," Fox answered soothingly as he washed Alex's cock. Moments later he'd discarded the cloth and removed the cuffs, smiling as his moaning lover quickly sought the closeness of his body. He pulled the sheet up around them and wound his arms around Alex, kissing the sable head nestled to his chest. 

Quiet prevailed for long minutes, then Fox stared up at the ceiling, a distinct wrinkle forming between his eyebrows. "Alex?" 

"....Hmm?" 

"This is...okay, this is going to sound weird, but...the bed feels different." 

Sable lashes lifted, and Alex stared across the room at the wall he was facing. 

//You had to know he'd notice. You were going to tell him anyway, so what's the biggie?// 

"Yeah." Alex lifted his head and forced himself to meet Fox's gaze. "I replaced the old one." 

The wrinkle deepened. "You did? When?" 

"Today." 

"Oh. Uh...why?" 

"Because I...the other one was pretty old. It sagged in spots, it was kind of lumpy, and that's no good for your back. I'm...I'm sorry, Fox, I guess I should have asked you first." 

"Nooo, no. I told you to change anything you wanted to. I'm glad to see you listened to me." 

Alex tightened his hold on his lover and again lowering his head to the warm chest, squeezed his eyes shut. He hated himself for the partial lie he'd just told, but the alternative scared him too goddamn much. 

//Jesus Christ, how can you think that he'd not understand? He knows you'd never do to him what Scully was trying to make it look like you did.// 

//Yeah. Okay. Even if he believes you, how hurt would he be knowing that the woman he thought was his best friend would go to such sickening extremes simply for a piece of your ass? I mean, who could forgive that? And how do you know for absolutely sure that he would be able to put aside the knowledge that some asshole fucked you in his bed and continue on as if it never happened? How much do you think he can swallow before he's had enough?// 

He couldn't take that chance. He wanted to trust that Fox would handle this as well as he'd handled everything else, but... 

All right, so he was a coward. Whatever. He wouldn't lose Fox. He wouldn't chance it. Not now. He'd fallen so deeply in love with the man that he couldn't think straight, and there was no way in hell he'd voluntarily give him up. 

"You okay, babe?" 

"...Fine." 

//Make him believe it.// 

Alex picked his head up and gave Fox a contented smile. 

"Just tired. It's an exhausting thing, you know, coming that hard." 

"Oh yeah?" Fox leered, sliding a hand over the younger man's ass. "That mean that a second round is out of the question?" 

"I don't know," Alex purred, licking Fox's collarbone. "I might be able to. If..." "If?" Alex reached for the cuffs and swung them back and forth in front of his lover's face. He sounded an evil little chuckle and reached for Fox's wrists... 

  * Three weeks later __*



Friday again. 

Thank God. Now if only he could make it through this freakin' traffic. 

Fox sat drumming impatiently on the wheel, thinking ahead to the moment he would walk in the door to the apartment he shared with Alex. 

The thrill hadn't gone yet. Not one day had his heart not pounded with joy at the thought of returning home and finding Alex there waiting for him. Whether the younger man was cooking a big dinner or pounding away at the computer, lost in his on line investing...sprawled naked on their bed or staring pensively out the window, the elation at coming home to him was the same. 

He was there. And with him, Fox was home. 

Fox smiled as the traffic on the beltway began to move a little more smoothly. 

They were going out tonight. Nothing big, just dinner and a movie, but he loved these occasional 'dates'. Something about being out with Alex. Sitting in public, doing the things that every other couple in the world did, made it more real. More normal and permanent. 

Not that he wasn't sure without the shadow of a doubt that he and Alex were a forever thing, he just liked proving it to the world. 

And to Scully. 

With every day that passed without her hearing a 'you were right and I was wrong, Scully, and Alex and I are history', she grew more disgruntled. Not that she said anything, but he could read it all over her face and in her tone when she spoke to him. She was pissed. No doubt about it. Oh well. She'd either get over it or she wouldn't. Frankly, he couldn't give a damn less if she never got over it. 

His indifference should have bothered him, but he couldn't bring himself to care. If she couldn't be friend enough to care that he was happy, then... 

Ah, screw it. He wasn't going to let Scully and her bullshit problems interfere with his weekend. Finally making it home, he pulled into his parking spot and headed into the building. Before walking to the elevator, he checked his mailbox. Sometimes Alex wouldn't leave the apartment, or he would go out but completely forget to stop at the box, so, Fox always checked on his way in. 

//Holy crap. What is all this stuff?// 

Fox walked toward the elevator, shifting through the assortment of envelopes. 

"Crap, crap, bill...shit, bill, crap, crap..." 

He got into the elevator and turned over the last piece of mail. The large, square, handwritten envelope caught his interest, and he raised his eyebrows. 

"Hmm. Not my birthday. Not that anyone would be sending me a card if it was..." 

He reached the fourth floor and temporarily forgot about the mail as he strode toward the end of the hall and unlocked the door. 

A huge grin lit his face as he looked across to the end of the living room and found Alex sitting at his desk, pulling a pair of eyeglasses off and putting them back on. 

"Holy mackerel," the younger man said by way of greeting as he pulled Fox's glasses down to the tip of his nose and stared at whatever was on the desk in front of him, "how can you see through these things? Better yet, how can you see without them?" 

Fox tossed the mail down onto the coffee table and rounded the desk, wrapping his arms around the seated man. 

"They're reading glasses; I don't need them to walk around." 

"Well, why aren't they in your pocket then, instead of in your desk drawer?" 

"It was a miracle. I woke up one morning, and I could see perfectly." 

"Really, Fox." Alex submitted to a long, tender kiss then resumed chastising his lover. "If you've got glasses, it's because you need them. You're not doing yourself any good by not using them." 

"Yes, Mom." 

"I'm serious," Alex replied. 

"I know." Fox kissed him again. "And I love that you're so concerned about me." 

"Yeah, well I'm not talking to hear myself talk," the younger man answered sternly. "You wear these to read if that's what you're supposed to do." 

Fox stared at the other man for a moment then broke into another grin. He tightened his arms around Alex and pressed their cheeks together. 

"I love you, baby." 

"Don't change the subject." 

"I'm not, I'm just...you don't love me?" Fox pouted at the younger man. 

"Desperately. That's why I want you to take care of yourself the way you're supposed to." 

"Okay." Fox nuzzled Alex's jaw then planted a soft kiss there. "I'll wear them from now on." 

"Thank you. Now. Why don't you relax a little bit...check your email or something, and I'll go get dressed." 

Fox nodded in agreement and sat down in the chair that Alex had just vacated. He picked the glasses up and raised them in salute to his lover, then put them on and turned his attention to the computer. 

Alex smiled, blew Fox a kiss then retreated to the bedroom. 

Scanning his email, Fox found pretty much nothing but junk. He deleted almost everything and shut the computer down, then remembered the mail he'd brought in. 

Walking over to the sofa, he dropped down onto the soft leather and picked up the stack. 

Throwing most of it back onto the table, he opened the bills first, perused them quickly, then opened the last envelope. He pulled a card out that read simply, 'Especially For You', and he flipped it open. Frowning, he adjusted his glasses and turned the stack of pictures right side up, and then all the air in the room disappeared. 

Mechanically, his hands moved, shuffling the pictures, his disbelieving eyes looking at shot after shot of Alex in the bed he recognized as their own, lying beneath a man he didn't recognize. 

Naked...eyes closed, mouth slightly open...on a gasp of pleasure perhaps...the man's cock up his ass... 

"So, I was so busy giving you shit about your glasses, that I forgot to tell you how much we made on that..." 

Alex stopped three steps out of the bedroom, frozen as he saw Fox sitting on the couch, staring blankly down at...no. Oh, Jesus God, no. 

Clouded, amber eyes looked from the pictures up to the petrified man, but Fox said nothing. 

The horrified look in his lover's eyes jarred Alex into motion. 

"Fox..." He took several shaky steps toward the sofa. "What...where did you get those?" 

Fox blinked for the first time since Alex had come into the room, and he looked back down at the photos in his hand. 

A quick glance at the discarded envelope and card told Alex that that fucking dead bitch Scully had sent them in the mail. He lowered himself to his knees and gently wrestled the pictures from his stricken lover's grip. 

"Don't...Fox, don't look at these. Listen to me, okay? Fox, please? It...it isn't how it looks. God, it isn't at all how it looks." 

Fox looked up at the kneeling man with an expression that tore his heart and all hope for a long, happy life together to bits. 

"I didn't know, Fox, I...I wasn't...aware, I..." Alex rambled, his rattled mind unable to put two coherent thoughts together. He stopped, took a hard, shaky breath and tried again. 

"I did _not_ bring that man here. I didn't even know he was..." 

Fox reached past Alex and picked up the top picture, staring quietly at the image. 

" _No_." Alex snatched the photo away. "I didn't...I wouldn't do this to you, Fox. I love you," he whispered desperately. "Say something. Christ, please, Fox, talk to me." 

But he couldn't. The wild jumble in his brain refused to be sorted, and the pain in his heart spoke loudly above all else. 

With no answer coming from his wounded lover, and a murderous rage building up inside of him, Alex stumbled to his feet and fled the apartment. He wouldn't later remember how he got to Scully's apartment, but soon after leaving Fox sitting nearly comatose on the sofa at home, he found himself at her door, splintering the wood in its frame as he kicked it in. 

Scully leapt from her bedroom, gun held out in front of her, wide eyed. Her pounding heart doubled its pace when she realized who had just broken in. 

"Krycek!" she screeched. "What the hell are you..." 

Before she could finish her question, he was on her, the gun falling from her hand as he slammed her up against the nearest wall. 

"You goddamn, fucking bitch!" he roared, "How could you do this to him? How could you do it!?" 

"What the hell are you talking about?" Scully screamed, fighting against the enraged man's death grip on her. 

"You made more copies of those fucking pictures, and you sent them to him!" "What? I...no, I didn't!" 

"You did!" Alex threw the woman across the room, sending her crashing into the buffet on the other side. Before she could regain her balance, he picked up her gun and was there, slamming her back into the glass door, shattering the pane all around her. 

"I didn't think you'd do it!" he bellowed, his voice crackling with fury. "I know how you feel about me, but how can you hate him that much?" 

"I...*don't*!" She grated, trying to lever herself away from the shards that clung to the doorframe. "I didn't do it! I couldn't!" 

"Fucking liar!" Alex screamed, curling his fingers around the woman's throat and holding the gun point blank to her forehead. "You ruined it! We were happy, and you fucked it all up!" 

"Step away from her, Krycek." 

Wild green eyes flicked in the direction of the voice and found Skinner standing to Alex's left, holding his drawn weapon on him. 

"Go ahead," Alex croaked, tightening his grip on Scully's throat. "My life is over anyway. This bitch has seen to that." 

"It isn't over, Krycek," Skinner explained softly. "Let her go." 

"Fuck you!" the stricken man bellowed. "Oh, wait. You'd like that, wouldn't you?" 

Skinner answered, cautiously moving closer. 

"No, Alex. I didn't know. I didn't want to see, but I do now..." 

Scully shifted a shocked gaze from one man to the other but said nothing. 

"I can help," Skinner said. "It's not over. You and Mulder can stay together. You will. It'll be all right, Alex, I swear to God, but not if you kill her. Let her go." 

Alex eyed the older man for a second, looking as thought he might do as Skinner asked, but the fleeting scrap of sanity was lost in an instant. 

"You're a fucking liar just like she is," he hissed, releasing the safety. 

"Jesus Christ, Krycek," Skinner gasped. "Don't. Don't make me shoot you. Don't make Mulder have to live without you." 

"He'll be better off," Alex answered, his words broken and tears blurring his vision. 

"No, he won't. He loves you more than life. You can't do this to him." 

"He might have loved me before this." Alex's hand began to waver as two tears fell. "But not now. Not after what she did." 

"I didn't...do it," Scully whispered, trying to keep herself from shaking. 

"Shut up!" Alex shouted. "You're a fucking vengeful, spiteful bitch, and you'd never have stopped until you tore us apart! Well, congratulations! Here's your reward..." 

Taking a huge chance, Skinner tackled Alex, his momentum sending them both sprawling onto the sofa. He wrestled the gun away from the younger man and pinned him to the cushions as he vented his fury. 

"Mother fucker! I'll kill you both!" Alex screamed, in too awkward a position to gain enough leverage to free himself. He put up a hell of a fight though, and Skinner had to use all his strength to keep him restrained. 

"Krycek! Alex! Calm down and listen to me, dammit! I want to help you! I'm going to help you!" 

"Nobody can help me!" Alex answered, each word a broken sob. "His face. Oh, my God...God. The look on his face." 

"It'll be okay, Alex. Let me take you home, and we'll get it all straightened out." 

Scully watched in horrified fascination as Skinner kneeled over the inconsolable man, attempting to calm him. There was almost a tenderness to his actions that Scully had rarely seen. And she wasn't sure what the hell to make of it. 

"There's nothing to straighten out," the younger man whispered. "You didn't see...see his face." 

Skinner's head snapped around, and he fixed a withering glare on the woman. 

"You're going to fix this," he informed her, leaving no room for argument. "You're going to go to Mulder and explain it, or I..." 

A new presence in the doorway caught Skinner's and Scully's attention, and both turned to see Fox glancing once more at the broken door before moving through it and entering the room. 

Skinner rose from the sofa and moved to the side, making the miserable heap that was Fox's lover visible to him. 

Glancing from Skinner to his obviously terrified partner, he moved to the sofa and dropped to his knees, touching Alex's hand. "Alex?" 

Tear drenched eyes snapped open, and Alex pulled himself up into a sitting position. He lowered his eyes and said nothing. 

"Alex, I...baby, I figured it out. I'm so...God, I'm so sorry I reacted the way I did. But after the shock wore off, and my brain was able to function, I knew." He leveled a hateful glare on Scully. "She master minded it somehow, didn't she?" 

"Mulder..." 

"Shut the fuck up." He looked from Scully back to Alex, all traces of malevolence gone. "Baby, just tell me. Is she behind this?" 

Shuddering, Alex managed a slight nod. 

Fox whirled to his feet and came to stand in front of Scully. 

"Mulder, I...he...he tried to kill me. If Skinner hadn't come by..." 

"We're through." Fox interrupted, not giving a damn about what she had to say. "I want you out of my office before Monday, and I don't want to see or hear from you again. Do you understand?" 

"Mulder..." 

"Shut up," the furious man roared, "before I fucking kill you myself!" He turned to Skinner, drawing a deep, stuttering breath. 

"I don't know what you were doing here but thank you for keeping him out of trouble." 

Skinner nodded then looked down at the quiet man. 

"Take him home, Mulder. Make him understand that you're not over. He's so sure that you're all done." 

Shaking his head, Fox mumbled something about it being his fault, and he sat down next to the younger man. 

"Alex." He reached up, gently petting the sable head. "Come on, I'm going to take you home now." 

Not lifting his gaze from his clasped hands, Alex displayed a bewildered frown. "Home?" 

" _Yes_. Baby, I want to know what happened, but before you say a word to me about it, we're going to be home, it's going to be calm and quiet, and you're going to understand that I love you, and that no matter what happened, nothing is going to change between us." 

Slowly, unsteadily, an agonized, emerald gaze rose to Fox's face. 

Fox cupped the other man's cheek in his palm, letting his thumb sweep the stubbled flesh. 

"Let me take you home, sweetheart." 

Slowly, Alex's eyes drifted shut, and he leaned forward, sinking into Fox's waiting arms. 

"I'm sorry," the older man whispered into his lover's hair. "Jesus, Alex, Im so sorry." 

Skinner watched Alex cling to his lover, and a mixture of shame, longing and anger clashed inside of him. 

While his body couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to have the younger man wrapped around him like that, his heart admonished such yearnings. With Mulder was so obviously where Alex belonged. And it angered him that Scully would go to the lengths that she had to keep them apart...and it shamed him that he had sat back and allowed it to play out. He could have prevented what had happened here by going to Mulder a month ago, but he chose not to in the attempt to hide his own recklessness. But it was done now, everything was going to be fine in spite of Scully's efforts, and there was no reason now to further implicate himself. 

With Alex still clutching his jacket, Fox rose to his feet, pulling the younger man up with him. Speaking not a word more to the two others in the room, he began the slow trek to the door. He moved Alex into the hall, and with the two left behind staring after them, they started for home. 

"Well," Skinner murmured, casting his gaze to the floor after the two men had gone. "You'd better get someone over here to fix that door." 

Scully watched the A.D. warily. 

"Is that all you're going to say?" 

Skinner drew a long breath then let it out. 

"No. No, Agent Scully, that isn't all. I'll also tell you that what you did was reprehensible, and you're getting off easy." "What do you know about what I did?" 

"I don't claim to know every last detail, but I know enough, and let's leave it at that. What I don't know is how you could be so heartless as to make sure that Mulder found out. I mean..." Skinner walked away, running his hand over his head then turned to face the woman. "...I understand that you wanted Krycek away from him. But damn. I...I gotta say, Scully, I'd never have thought it was in you to do something this cruel." 

"I didn't," Scully swore. "I think it was...it had to be those men." 

Skinner cocked his head. "The two you brought here?" 

Scully emitted a long sigh. Closing her eyes, she answered. 

"Yes. Krycek had permanently wounded one of them. He wanted revenge. Maybe he didn't trust me to actually send the pictures. He must have taken his own." 

"Why would you have them take pictures if you had no intention of sending them?" 

"I thought it would be enough that I had them. I thought that I could get Krycek to...that just the existence of those photos would be enough." 

"Get Krycek to what? Leave?" 

"...Yeah. Leave." 

"Scully, I...dammit, I can see that Mulder and Krycek are truly in love. How is it that you can't?" 

He thought about his own question for a moment then spoke again. 

"You can see it, can't you? You know that Krycek isn't what we'd first thought." 

"He's scum." Scully protested. "He's a lying, disgusting whore. Oh, and let's not forget a murderer. He would have killed me if you hadn't stopped him, and you know it." 

"Scully, Mulder would have killed you. _I_ would have killed you if I'd been in either one of their shoes." "Well, that makes it all okay, doesn't it?" 

"No, it doesn't. If it was okay, I wouldn't have stopped him. But the man was out of his mind with grief. That much was very clear. I mean, let's face it. You talked two men into coming across the country to basically drug and rape him, and take pictures of it, and the end result saw Mulder incredibly hurt, and Krycek tormented in so many more ways than one. 

"I'd take official action, but I think if Mulder had wanted to press charges, he would have said something. I don't believe he wants to put Krycek through any more than he has been already." He eyed the woman coldly. "But consider yourself put on notice. If you so much as breathe in their direction, I will act. Am I clear?" 

"I don't understand," Scully said, shaking her head. "You didn't want to see Mulder with him any more than I did." 

"I told you. I took my blinders off. Pity you weren't able to do the same. All this could have been avoided." 

Skinner moved to the door and stopped just inside the frame. 

"Don't forget to call someone about this." 

Scully watched the A.D. disappear into the hall, and she turned in a circle, for the first time assessing the damage done. 

Glass she'd be picking up well into next month. Some cracked dishes miraculously remained inside the buffet. Her gun on the floor next to the sofa where Krycek had dropped it when Skinner tackled him. Lock unseated from the door and bits of wood gone from the edge. 

She walked over to the door and pushed, cursing as it resisted her attempts to shut it. Finally giving it one good shove, it groaned into place, and she snatched up her phone, calling for a repairman. 

As she sat and waited, the realization of just how close she had come to having her brains blown out hit her like a hammer. Burying her face in violently shaking hands, she considered her next move. 

Okay, one thing was for sure. Her partnership as well as her friendship with Mulder was over. He'd figured out for himself that Saint Alex couldn't possibly have been fucking anyone in his bed of his own will, and immediately, he'd pinned the blame on her. 

//You're all done, Dana. You did shit that would have your mother shuttling between church and your prison cell for a good long time, and did it get you what you wanted? Did Krycek fall into bed with you and fuck you silly? Nope. He busted into your apartment, tried to kill you, and he and Mulder are still together. He's even got Skinner on his side now. Yeah, that's good. Your boss is threatening to press charges if you so much a sneeze in their direction, and all you have out of the deal is a mess to clean up here, no more friends, and probably a goddamn desk assignment. Good job, Dana. Goddamn, fucking good job.// 

"All because of that lousy, two-bit, dirty..." 

Straight out hatred and a thirst for revenge doused any remaining flames of lust that may have been left smoldering and all good sense along with it, and she began to plot. 

"Okay...okay, there's..." 

//Yeah. What is there? Spit it out. I'm dying to hear. You suck at planning dirty deeds, girl, face it. It just ain't your thing.// 

"That's because I was out of my element. First of all, I depended on someone else to carry out the plan...which, I guess was a bad plan from the start because I couldn't execute it myself. So, okay. What did we learn from this?" 

//Keep it simple.// 

"Right. Simple is better. I plan it alone, I carry it out alone. No accomplices, no witnesses. Second, there can be no room for interpretation. He's got to be unable to weasel his way out of it." 

//Yeah, okay, great. But what, Dana, what?// 

"I don't know," she sighed aloud, slumping back against the cushions of her sofa. "I don't..." Her brow wrinkled, and she stared off into space. 

"Hmm..." 

* * *

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